During the 2008 US Presidential campaign, confronted candidate Barack Obama with the question: "I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes 250 to 280 thousand dollars a year. Your new tax plan's going to tax me more, isn't it?" The question was a fabrication, and asking this question in such a public forum brought tremendous scrutiny upon the questioner. Wurzelbacher was in no financial position to acquire a company of that size -- had he stated his real income, $40,000 in 2006, the answer would have been quite different. It later came out that a $1,182 lien had been filed in Ohio against him for nonpayment of taxes. And although the media refers to Wurzelbacher as "Joe the Plumber", investigations revealed that in fact he has no plumbing license, and was performing work for his employer illegally. In an interview on Hannity & Colmes, Wurzelbacher railed against government "socialism", but then confessed that twice while growing up, his family had benefited from the quintessential socialist program, welfare.

Wife: Jennifer (div. 1997, one son)Son: (b. 1995)

High School: Springfield High School, Springfield, OH

Author of books:Joe the Plumber: Fighting for the American Dream (2008)